Family Update!

Thanks to everyone for waiting for this post :) Things have been very busy at work and many nights I come home, make dinner, play with the kids, put them in bed, and hit the hay myself! School has been busy and we are rounding out the end of the 1st quarter so grading has taken some extra time AND I'm hoping to be a tutor to students who are failing English I so I've been working on getting ready for that too. I'm hoping to get picked (lots of teachers are offering so they can make extra money) so I'm hoping I get the chance to do it. I would have to work Saturday mornings, but only from 7-noon, so that's not too bad.

William is doing great and growing like gangbusters! He's at 15 pounds and I have to say, I'm in love with his chunky baby thighs! I took a tape measure to his legs just to see how big they are and I got a full 6 inches around:) Ahhh....what a healthy boy! He's babbling all the time and pushing himself up on his hands to get a better look at the world. He's even getting better at sitting up when he's propped up with the Boppy. He's figured out he needs to balance himself with his arms, but he's still working on it :) He laughs all the time (especially when Dan makes goofy faces) and is a joy to listen to!

Jackson is doing well too. He's been saying some really funny things lately (that he hears from daddy) and he's using big words. Yesterday I asked him where his Optimus Prime transformer was and he said, "Mommy, I don't exactly know right now." Just tonight he repeated Dan in words and tone when he said, "That's freakin' HILARIOUS!" in reference to Tiny Fey on SNL. I just looked at Dan and shook my head. Somewhere he has picked up, "That's really cool, baby!"

Jackson has also started noticing how pretty girls are. That's right, my little Casanova got caught kissing a girl at school. Apparently, this little girl jumped on Jackson while he was lying down for nap-time and told him she wanted to give him a hug. Of course, my sweet little boy obliged and then she planted one firmly on the lips! The teacher saw this and explained that "we only hug our friends standing up" and when I asked Jack about it he said, "But, Mom! She wanted a hug!" I asked him if he thought his friend was cute and he told me she was "beautiful." Great. Now I'm going to have to convince Dan to explain a few things about kissing girls. Knowing Dan he'll tell Jackson to kiss as many as he can! LOL!

Dan is still working hard at Penhall, but not so sure about the folks he works with. I think he's unappreciated. He always puts a lot of effort into his work (he never does anything half way), but I'm not sure others see it. He says he's the only dispatcher that's lasted this long (which I think says a lot about the boss), but he keeps truckin' along :) The economy has us as nervous as the rest of the country, so I'm very happy we are both working and not being laid off, or downsized.

That's pretty much it for us here in Sin City. We are seriously talking about an "out" date to leave this place. After the kidnapping that triggered a National Amber Alert took place across the street from us, I think we are both more motivated than ever to get out of here. Of course, the kidnapping was planned and is thought to be retaliation for the theft of drug money, but that doesn't make me feel any better. The child's grandfather sole MILLIONS from the Mexican Mafia and that made a few people down south a little mad. The kidnappers may have had a target, but the fact that the family was involved in SERIOUS drug crimes is enough for me to hightail it out of here. Dan has always known I wanted to leave, but now he seems to see things my way :)

We hope all is well with everyone and can't wait to see a few family members during Thanksgiving!
Love, Christine and The Boys

Jackson arriving at the Nascar truck races.

Cool shades kiddo, hey...those look like Daddy's work glasses!

Will doesn't look too sure about these races :(

How's this for the windblown look?

Oh, yeah? You wanna make fun of my earplugs? You

wanna piece of me? Well....BLAH to you too!

Huh? What was that? Did you say dinner?

Jackson taking in a quiet moment.

Mommy and William taking one in too.

Dan with the elusive Desert Tortise! We nealry hit the darn thing

as it was crossing the road. We drove OVER it, turned

around and Dan resuced it from the roadway. We both

thought the tortise was a myth! No one ever sees them! This one

weighed a good ten pounds.

Peek-a-boo!

Do you mind? Can't a boy eat in peace?! I know,

a four month old that holds his own bottle is rare.

My dad taught me this trick :)

Helloooo ladies! Welcome to my boudoir...yes,

I have been told I am charmant (adorable).

William taking on a fierce dino! Will won :)

Cheese!

Dan and William playing in Jack's room. Notice

the carnage of the dinosaur ;)

Jack shows Will some toys in a catalog.

Will is pretty interested, but...

he decides he needs a hug from his big brother instead :)